“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory…” Isaiah 43:6-7

One of the wonderful things about working with the same group through multiple phases of training over time is that we get to know one another’s names. Everyone we train shares a common faith in Jesus, but everyone has a different story about how they came to that faith. Over time, their stories begin to come out in their prayers, questions, worship, conversations, and senses of humor. It’s amazing to experience this.

We returned to Mumbwa for Phase 2 training on Sunday, August 27th, with a real sense of excitement. Our Phase 1 training with this diverse group of fifteen pastors had gone extremely well, and was probably the best Phase 1 experience we’d ever had. So, we looked forward to seeing our new friends again, and we were not disappointed!

Abby taught “Foundations of Ministry: Receiving, Believing, Becoming, and Doing,” and Doug taught “Understanding the Bible.” Because we had seven days of training we were able to take our time and allow for plenty of break-out sessions and group discussions. These sort of interactions made the principles we taught come to life as our students discussed them with local and personal applications in mind. Stories were shared, questions were raised, issues were highlighted, and laughter often filled the room. It was a truly wonderful time of mutual learning and encouragement!

As the training drew to a close, one pastor told us, “You have turned our world upside down. Thank you!”

That’s what Jesus does, though, isn’t it? He turns our world upside down so that we begin living right side up. What a joy to experience this with these fifteen committed pastors. And what a joy to know each other’s names!

We are so very grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement. We are acutely aware that without you we would not have this incredible privilege. And, always remember, where we go you go!